How to Become a Successful YouTube Gamer

Making videos and putting them on YouTube seems like a fun and easy job. However, it’s actually way harder than you think. There’s a reason why some people have millions of subscribers and others are lucky enough to get ten. After studying the most famous YouTubers in my television classes, my professors have showed me the key traits that they all have.

Listed is a compilation of small tips that will help you become a success!

Figure out what your channel is about

A channel can’t just have random videos. There needs to be a more common theme about them.

Are your videos going to be you talking about video games? Is it your reaction video to playing video games? Are you reviewing games? What is your channel about?

This may feel like you are being put in a corner, but all YouTubers do it. Go, look at your favorite channels. They all have specific formats they follow -- some may be more complicated than others. For example, a gaming review show may answer Twitter questions on Tuesdays. Formatting and figuring out what you're going to convey lets subscribers find out what they're getting out your channel.

Talent

I know everyone wants to be a star, but some people have more of a knack for it than others. Some people aren’t comfortable on camera. Others have a monotone voice or just aren’t that charismatic. You have to figure out who is on your show. Is it just you? Or is the show with you and a friend? You need to be honest. Do you think people will want to watch our cast on the show?

Talent is what will make the show work after all. If you realize that you just aren’t comfortable on the camera, don’t worry. You can still make a YouTube show! You can be the director, writer, and producer. You’ll still have a fun time working behind the scenes and it will still be your show. If you aren’t sure whether or not you are comfortable in front of the camera, do some practice tests. Film yourself and see if you feel awkward talking to yourself.

Marketing

It may not seem like it, but everyone has to market and promote his or her videos. This is more than just sharing the link with your friends and family on Facebook. You need to create a social media presence for your show. You need to create a Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and all of these accounts need to be cohesive. They all need the same profile picture, bio, name, and cover photo. If you are handy in Photoshop you should make your own logo for the profile picture. You should also have the YouTube page look similar as well. These accounts need to be posting daily. Another part of this job is to check the analytics of the show. Does the show have the proper tags to place high in Google search?

You might want to have a friend be in charge of marketing. It is a lot to not only create, develop, shoot, and edit videos, but to do social media as well.

Consistency

This is the most important part. You have to post videos at least once a week. If you don’t post a video in a month you will lose subscribers. People will think you have lost interest or have died.

Honestly, it’s not nice to make people think you have died.

Also, posting new videos is the only way to get more subscribers. More content equals more viewers. Ideally, you should have a posting schedule that your subscribers depend on. YouTube is like television. If you know your favorite show will have a new episode on Thursdays, then the network gives you the latest episode. If you say you will have new episodes on Tuesdays, make sure to have the video by then. It’s about building trust.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to become a successful YouTuber one day. YouTube may not seem like it, but it is a hard industry to break into. This is why it’s important to help one another. Luckily, YouTube is a collaborative industry. Network, build connections, and stay consistent. Hard work will always pay off.